Marilynn I. Schnepf’s research while affiliated with University of Nebraska–Lincoln and other places

Inulin-fructooligosaccharides (FOS) belong to the group of carbohydrates known as non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO) and have a long history of human consumption. Inulin has a number of dietary advantages, which are mainly involved in the promotion of bifidobacteria, as confirmed by in vitro and in vivo studies. Inulin has all the characteristics and health benefits common to non-digestible polysaccharides (NDP) and resembles those attributed to dietary fiber. However, inulin does not possess the typical physical effects of dietary fiber, such as dramatic viscosity building, intense water holding, large increases in osmotic pressure and intestinal bulking effects. Several of the more pronounced health contributions of inulin arise from its ability to selectively stimulate in vivo in humans the growth of bacterial genera and species known to be beneficial for health, such as Bifidobacterium (except B. bifidum) and Lactobacillus, at the expense of potential pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, inulin is generally considered a prebiotic with a bifidogenic factor. In contrast to probiotics, prebiotics like inulin are not unduly affected by their environment, but rather have the advantage of inducing the selective growth of endogenous bacteria in their normal environment. Effects on gut microflora, blood glucose attenuation, lipid homeostasis, mineral and nitrogen bioavailability, immunomodulation effects, along with the ability to add texture and improve rheological characteristics and nutritional properties of food, allows inulin to be termed as "physiologically functional food" or food ingredient, or more simply, a food with potential health-promoting effects.

The objective of this study was to determine if an Ethnic Food Frequency questionnaire more accurately reflected food intake among immigrant Hispanic women compared to US-born Hispanic women. Participants in the study consisted of 30 immigrant and 25 US-born Hispanic low-income women living in the Grand Island, Nebraska, area. A traditional food frequency questionnaire used by the Nebraska Women. Infants, and Children's (WIC) Special Supplemental Food program and a modified questionnaire containing ethnic foods were administered to the women. The immigrant group consumed more of the traditional Hispanic foods than did the US-born group. A traditional food frequency questionnaire that did not include ethnic foods did not accurately measure food intake among recently arrived Hispanic immigrants. Use of a modified food frequency questionnaire that reflects typical ethnic foods of recently arrived immigrant groups would be important for assessing nutritional status of new immigrants. Such an instrument would be useful in health clinics and other medical settings that serve new immigrants.

LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine nutrition education on pregnancy outcomes of WIC eligible Latina women. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of supplementary nutrition education and support by Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) bilingual peer paraprofessionals on Spanish speaking, WIC eligible Latina women. The study included 40 WIC-only control subjects and 29 intervention subjects who were enrolled in both WIC and EFNEP. Breast-feeding (BF), practices, birthweights, hemoglobin values, and pre/post 24-hour food recalls were obtained by searching WIC files. Nutritional behaviors and opinions were obtained from a Spanish version of a pre/post EFNEP Survey. Data were statistically analyzed using SAS. Significance was set at p≤.05. Intervention subjects from one site attained 100 percent BF initiation rates, and continued to BF for an average of 16.9 weeks, significantly more than control subjects who initiated BF at a rate of 67 percent and continued to BF for an average of only 7.8 weeks. Intervention subjects increased their intakes of grain products, fruits, vegetables and milk significantly more than control subjects. Intervention subjects ran out of food less often than controls, and they examined food labels for fat more frequently than controls. Considering the rapidly growing population of Spanish speaking clientele at WIC, expanded efforts of cooperation between EFNEP and WIC may enhance efforts to promote breast-feeding in this ethnic group. Interagency teamwork may also help ethnic clientele to increase their use of food labels, influence desirable eating practices during pregnancy, and optimize resources.